Unnecessary Care Costs Millions | Washington State Health Waste Calculator™ Analysis

Over the previous three years, Washington's health care system wasted more than $125 million across roughly 800,000 measured services and cases considered low-value or unnecessary. From harmful opioid prescriptions to all-too-frequent inappropriate tests, hundreds of thousands of residents experienced health care waste.

These dollars could provide more than 2,000 Washington families with full insurance.

We cannot afford to provide wasteful care. Paying closer attention to overuse, underuse, and misuse of health care services will go a long way to delivering equitable quality, costs, and access to Washingtonians and support a resilient and sustainable health care delivery system.

Read the full report.

Quality and Cost with an Eye on Equity

In 2023, the Alliance continued to provide its trusted, reliable reporting on the quality and cost of health care in Washington state. We dug deeper to better understand how the socioeconomic divide in our state impacts the care our neighbors receive.

With Neighborhood Atlas, also known as Area Deprivation Index, a tool validated by the University of Wisconsin, we reported for the first time in March that all too often our least advantaged neighborhoods receive a substantively lower quality of care.

Building off this work, in May, we used Neighborhood Atlas to highlight disparities in the cost of care between our most and least advantaged neighborhoods.

These analyses spurred crucial conversations on how to address longstanding barriers to care to ensure all Washingtonians receive equitable high-quality care that is accessible and affordable.

Next year, we plan to drive these efforts forward with comprehensive reporting as we get closer to understanding that where you live matters.

In case you missed it:

Washington State Hospital Safety Grades Released; State Rank Drops to 25th Nationally

Patient safety grades at hospitals across Washington State continued to fall in 2023, with the state now ranking 25th across the country for the percentage of hospitals receiving top marks, according to survey results released Monday by Leapfrog Group, which is led locally by the Washington Health Alliance.

Washington, which had ranked 12th in the fall of 2022, fell 13 places following the 2023 survey, as the portion of hospitals receiving lower marks continues to grow.

How does Washington State perform on diabetes care?

In recognition of National Diabetes Awareness month in November, the Washington Health Alliance drew attention to how we perform as a state in caring for individuals with diabetes in the primary care setting.

Read more about diabetes care.

Substance Use Disorder: Affordable Treatment on Your Employees’ Terms

Virtual Webinar – 12 to 1 p.m. PST on Jan. 9, 2024

Substance Use Disorder is a growing condition both within Washington State and across the country. However, the health care system has been struggling to meet the needs.

Join your peers from across the health care system to hear more about how to address barriers of care and improve the health of our communities.

Learn About:

Evidence-based, evidence-led treatment
The value of: Medicine-based treatment, quick access to affordable care, and harm-reduction treatment that meets people where they are

Our members and supporters can be the best ambassadors for our work. If you know someone who would like to learn more about membership in the Alliance, contact Denise Giambalvo, Director of Member Engagement & Business Strategy, at dgiambalvo@wahealthalliance.org.

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